Friday, May 29, 2009

Before teen angst became cool, there was the movie Heathers. This dark comedy starred a much younger Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Heathers is a classic parody of dealing with cliques, bullies, fitting in, and peer pressure. Both tragic and funny, it pokes fun at the dark side of one life's awkward times: High School. To celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary, a “20th High School Reunion Edition” DVD was released. This is one DVD that brought back to life the dark comedy that catapulted the careers of Ryder and Slater.

Take a glimpse into the life of Saddam with the 4-Part HBO Miniseries titled House of Saddam. I got the chance to check this out on DVD and it is a very interesting look at the ruthless dictator's life. It chronicles his rise to power and his ultimate fall as Iraq’s leader. You thought you already hated the guy? Well you get a close up look here at Saddam’s 24-year reign of terror. The acting was very convincing and added depth to this complex story. Overall I found it to be a very compelling look at the life of the notorious megalomaniac known as Saddam.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Jo Koy, the bald headed Filipino funnyman gets his very own DVD special with Jo Koy: Don’t Make Him Angry. This DVD is one to watch if you want to see this up-and-coming comedian at his best. Jo doesn’t hold anything back here as he covers everything from road rage, getting turned on by Michael Phelps (even though Jo’s not gay), his mom kicking his ass at Wii Sports, and some really intimate family moments. Oh and I can’t forget his skit on when how he felt after visiting France where he exclaims, “Fuck France!” It might just make you want to rethink that trip to Paris! The DVD also comes with a performance by apl.de.ap from Black Eyed Peas and some extra interviews with Jo. So if you’re in the mood for some hilarious standup comedy, this one’s got the goods.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

I never imagined Charlie Sheen becoming a TV sitcom guy, but he found just the right gig for him in Two and a Half Men. Already through 5 seasons, this hilarious show teams Charlie up with another 80's guy, Jon Cryer. This show is definitely one of the best sitcoms you’ll catch on TV. In case you missed any part of the 5th season, you can now see it on DVD. All the outrageous moments from the season are here such as Jake starting junior high and getting some “helpful” advice from Alan and Charlie, Charlie’s annoying rash, and Alan hooking up with a psychotic Janeane Garofalo! This is one great collection of all 24 episodes spread out over 4 discs. If that wasn’t enough, it also contains following special features:

- Two and a Half Men at 100- The Lore of Chuck Lorre: Must Pause TV – The Genesis and Evolution of His Vanity Cards at the End of Each Episode- Two and a Half Men – Dying is Easy, Comedy is Hard: Chronicling the Crossover Episodes Between Writing Teams of Two and a Half Men and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation- Bonus Episode: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – Two and a Half Deaths

Friday, May 22, 2009

This is one film where justice is served swiftly for some bastards that got what they deserved. You may have seen Die Hard, but you must see Brian Mills’ (Liam Neeson) one man-war against some thugs that kidnapped his daughter. In an international chase to save his daughter’s life, Brian relies on his skills as a former CIA agent. Taken is a no-nonsense thriller that shows one of the darkest sides of the crime underworld, and the justice that they deserve. The film takes you on a wild chase through the underbelly of Paris. From start to finish, this is one satisfying thriller to watch. It satisfied my appetite for a good action film as well as having the satisfaction seeing the lowlife thugs get theirs. The film is out on DVD now and I recommend it for sheer awesomeness.

The good thing about when graphic novels get put on the big screen is that the publishers almost always put out “Special Editions” of the books to promote the film. For the Watchmen film, DC Comics put out a really cool hardcover version of this legendary graphic novel. This is a very impressive set that boasts 400 plus recolored pages. Alan Moore created a masterpiece with Watchmen, and this hardcover set is definitely one to check out for old-school fans as well as ones who never read it before.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Season two of one of the funniest political comedies is out now on DVD. Spin City is the show I’m talking about. Family Ties marked the beginning of Michael J. Fox’s TV career, and Spin City happened right at the tail end of it. Just before Parkinson’s Disease got the best of him, Mike was making audiences laugh as he played New York City’s Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty. His coworkers made the show even funnier with their eccentric and dysfunctional personalities, including the bumbling Mayor Randall Winston. Shout! Factory’s DVD collection of season two is one that is good enough to satisfy any fan out there who misses this show. There are 4 discs that contain all of the second season’s hilarious episodes. The show may be off the air, but Shout! Factory is keeping it alive with these great DVD sets.

Q-Tip, the veteran hip-hop emcee who is best known for his work in A Tribe Called Quest shows that he’s not dead yet. You can’t deny that hip-hop is drastically changing. Some say for the better, others for the worst. The ones who are sick of the current state of hip-hop claim it’s become too commercial and has lost its soul. Leave it to Q-Tip to come in and try to set things in order. With his work in Tribe, he established himself as one of the best rappers to pick up a mic. Now in 2009, he releases The Renaissance. I always respected Q-Tip’s style and how he stayed true to himself through the years. After getting a heavy dose of artists like Lil Wayne and Kanye the past few years, The Renaissance was a breath of fresh air. Nothing against the artists mentioned above, it’s just that I will always be biased towards the artists I grew up listening to. The Renaissance is a collection of finely tuned songs in which Q-Tip lyrically runs laps around your mind with his trademark flow. If you’re looking to hear new material from Tribe, you won’t find it here. But what you will find is an album that takes it back to the basics with some raw creativity.

Monday, May 18, 2009

The Scooby-Doo series is already a legend among cartoon shows. Wouldn't it be great to see where it all began? Well, Scooby-Doo Where Are You Volume 2: Bump In the Night is a special DVD because it takes you back to the original series with 4 classic episodes. The 4 episodes included are Decoy for a Dognapper, What the Hex Going On?, Never Ape an Ape Man, and Foul Play in Funland. Watching these 4 episodes was a lot of fun as they brought back the feeling of watching the show for the first time. My only complaint is that I wish more episodes were included. But overall, this one is a great DVD to own for any Scooby-Doo fan out there.

No matter how many new cartoons get released (and there are some good ones), the classic Bugs Bunny ones will always be around to make people laugh. What better way to enjoy all the fun of Looney Tunes than with the Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie. You may remember seeing a lot of the cartoons in this hilarious movie split into three parts. Throughout the film you are treated to some insanely funny cartoon shorts such as Yosemite Sam taking a trip to hell, a detective Bugs Bunny taking down gangsters that try and use Daffy Duck to lay golden eggs, and a trip to the Oscars with the Looney Tunes gang. This latest release of Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie also contains the bonus cartoons Box-Office Bunny, From Hare to Eternity and Pullet Surprise, making it a DVD not to be missed by any serious cartoon fan.

Friday, May 15, 2009

If you haven't heard of Benjamin Button yet, it's time to come out from the rock you're hiding under...

What a movie! The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is out now on DVD and if you haven’t watched it yet, do yourself a favor and see it. This is one of those movies that grabs you by the shoulders, shakes you, and tells you to go out and live your life to the fullest. With some GREAT performances by Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, this film lives up to all the hype that followed it. The only thing I found annoying about it was Brad Pitt’s accent in the movie. But even that isn’t enough to take away from the film. The story hits you on an emotional level way more than the average drama, without becoming a sappy film. It’s worth it to check out the 2-disc DVD set that contains the film and special features such as a four-part documentary called The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button. So if you haven’t seen it yet, do check it out. Like, now.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

If you've been following the Underworld series from the beginning, then you'd know that there's a side story about the forbidden love between Lucian, the original Lycan and Sonja, the daughter of evil vampire ruler Viktor. Up until Rise Of The Lycans, none of the movies went into further detail about this love affair. Now, fans of this awesome series have an entire movie surrounding this story to answer any questions they may have had. I never thought I’d actually have sympathy for Werewolves until I watched this! I knew Viktor was a wicked leader, but I really got to see how deep the evil is floating through his veins in Rise Of The Lycans. Along with the film’s focus on the love story is the story of Lucian’s upbringing. It was interesting to see him born into a life of slavery, then turn into a liberator for the oppressed Lycans as an adult. Think of him as a Werewolf version of Moses from the Old Testament! Being the Underworld fan that I am, I had high hopes for this film. Overall, Rise Of The Lycans went ahead and surpassed my expectations. The filmmakers really put the time into making a smart and thrilling film to end the trilogy. Speaking of the trilogy, the 3-disc set that contains all the Underworld films is a real treat for us fans. It’s rare that you get an entire trilogy packed into one case, but this one has them all along with tons of special features.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Ok party people, listen up. I am giving away a FREE Wii game! The game, you ask? It's Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek. This is the first time the series has gone outside the PC platform onto a home video game system. I have 1 copy waiting for a lucky winner. Here's what you need to do. Send me an email at societys.elite@gmail.com with a HAIKU about Nancy Drew (let's be creative folks). I will choose a random winner by Thursday May 14th, so start sending your Haikus! Good luck!

Friday, May 08, 2009

As much as I enjoy the advances in video game technology, my loyalty still belongs to the classic Nintendo games. If you grew up playing the classic NES, you may remember the cartoon series called Captain N: The Game Master. This was one of the coolest shows on TV back then! Of course, you had to be familiar with the NES games to really “get” this show. This animated series was filled with lots of action and included characters from Mega Man, Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, Kid Icarus, and The Legend of Zelda! For someone who played lots of Nintendo, it didn’t get any better than that. I never thought I’d get to see this series make it to DVD. But as always, we can count on the great Shout! Factory to deliver some pop-culture nostalgia to us hungry fans. Their 4-disc collection of the complete series is an awesome set. It’s got all 26 episodes that ran from 1989 – 1993 packed into one boxed set. Not everyone will understand the connections the show had with the NES games. However, Captain N can be enjoyed by anyone who’s into video games.

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

You’ve seen him in films like Ghost Town and Night At The Museum, but you never saw him like this before. Ricky Gervais brings his comedic talent on DVD with his American TV stand-up debut called Ricky Gervais: Out of England. Filmed in Madison Square Garden, this show is an hour’s worth of the most raw standup material from Ricky. Not afraid to bring up the most taboo topics, Gervais is a riot to watch as he tackles fundraising, AIDS, obesity, and nursery rhymes. You’ll never read Humpty Dumpty the same again! For anyone that shares the same sense of humor as this famous Brit, this DVD is sure to have you rolling with laughter.

If the new film has you curious to learn more about this complex character, DK Publishing has released an essential guide to all things Wolverine called Wolverine: Inside the World of the Living Weapon. This hardcover book will have your head swelling with all the info on this infamous member of the X-Men. Seriously, this book has EVERYTHING on Wolverine. There’s so much detailed info regarding his mutant powers, friends, and villains in here that you will be the ultimate Wolverine expert after reading it. And with the new movie out, it's the perfect time to brush up on your Wolverine facts!

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Although you’d be tempted to think that The Uninvited is a horror film, it’s not. Thriller? Yes. Horror? No.

I was looking forward to seeing The Uninvited when it was out in theaters, but never found the time. Now that it’s out on DVD I got the chance to see it, and it’s not what I expected. I expected the next best film to The Ring the way this was promoted. The previews made it look creepy as hell and very intriguing. It did have a couple of freaky scenes, but nothing to the extent of films like The Ring. If I had to sum it up in one line I’d say that the story behind The Uninvited is awesome, but the acting ruined it. Nothing against the actors in the film, it’s just the intensity that was needed by the cast in a film like this was lacking. The one redeeming moment of the film came at the end with the “shocking twist" which wrapped it up quite well. Speaking of the ending, the DVD offers an alternate ending which in my opinion isn’t as good as the regular one. Other than that, The Uninvited has its chilling moments, but could have been so much better.

Friday, May 01, 2009

He's a bad dude, with a bad 'fro, and some baaaad fighting skills. He's Afro-Samurai.

The latest in the Afro Samurai series brings back the nappy-headed warrior in Afro Samurai: Resurrection. With the voice talents of Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Liu, and Mark Hamill (yes everyone, LukeSkywalker), this Anime film is as intense as the afro on the main character’s head. In this film, Afro Samurai is brought out of a life of peace when he is suddenly taunted by Sio, a deadly woman seeking revenge on him. She is passionate about torturing Afro for things he has done in the past. But that won’t be easy since Afro Samurai doesn’t go down easy. Funimation has put together a sweet Director's Cut DVD of this film. It comes with the film, a booklet with an intro written by RZA from Wu-Tang Clan , and lots of extra bonus features. Overall, when it comes to Anime DVD’s, this one’s got the goods.

It’s a new album, but one that takes me back to a great time in my life. A big part of my teenage years and going into my first years of adulthood were spent listening to music by Notorious B.I.G. When his first album came out in 1993, I was a junior in High School and it wore out my speakers. After hearing that album I knew that this was one gifted emcee. Now we have the Notorious Soundtrack. I hesitate to call it a “Greatest Hits” since there are some other great tracks of his that were left off. However, this album does have some of his best like Hypnotize, Juicy, and Notorious Thugs including some rare demos like Guaranteed Raw and Microphone Murderer. Jay-Z also contributes to the soundtrack with Brooklyn Go Hard. It’s not one of Jay’s best, but a decent addition to the soundtrack. Overall, the Notorious Soundtrack is one that showcases some of Biggie’s best songs over a career that was ended way too fast.